Lang Tombong Explains

http://allafrica.com/stories/200306110012.html

The Daily Observer (Banjul)
NEWS
June 11, 2003
Posted to the web June 11, 2003

By Malick Mboob
Banjul

Major Lang Tombong Tamba, the chief FIFA security officer of the Gambia
Football Association (GFA) has said the attack on Gambians in Dakar was in
violation of FIFA regulations.

Major Tamba who was the chief security officer assigned to the Gambian
team, said the Senegalese FA had given assurances that all security
measures would be taken prior to the match.

"If we are to go by security measures of FIFA, we should have been received
by a security team of the host country but on our arrival that was not the
case," he said.

He said the Gambian supporters should have been escorted. "It was
unfortunate that Senegalese supporters had access to our bench and provoked
our players without their security forces intervening". explained.

Major Tamba added that Gambian supporters were all searched by the
Senegalese security before entering the stadium while the Senegalese were
not. "This is a violation of the FIFA rule because all supporters coming
into a stadium irrespective of which team they belong to should be
searched," he noted.

"The problem," he said, "started from the gate because FIFA rule says that
the gates used at the stadium should be separated between the hosts and the
visiting supporters. And also FIFA has been clear that the stands for the
supporters should be separated. In a way when you look at the covered
pavilion, there was no such thing done, our own supporters were together
with the Senegalese supporters. The parking area for vehicles was also not
separated which led to a lot of vehicles being vandalised.

Major Tamba noted that the provocation of the Senegalese fans was beyond
control which led Gambians to act in self defence. "When there was too much
provocation on Gambians, there was nothing that the Gambians could do other
than to defend themselves. I was with the fans throughout and stones were
coming at us like rain," he explained.

He said the GFA will forward the matter to FIFA.




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